Dr. Schmidt has a singular focus: being the absolute best teacher possible for the students in Wesleyan’s Graduate Programs of Nurse Anesthesia.

“One hundred percent of my effort goes to teaching students in our program. I don’t have to run a laboratory and I don’t have administrative duties. Here, I am allowed to teach. That’s one of the main reasons I came to Wesleyan.”

Dr. Schmidt, who joined the Wesleyan faculty in 2009, says he enjoys teaching GPNA students because they have experience working in a hospital or other medical facility providing high-level critical care to patients. “They come in the door with a lot of experience. As a teacher, when I prepare a lecture I have to go way beyond what’s in the textbook. The students are highly motivated. They are focused on their goal of becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and they are going to learn everything they can while they’re here. I have to stay current in my field, which is a challenge because science is evolving at a very rapid pace.”

One way Dr. Schmidt stays current with advances in his field is by attending educational conferences hosted by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Texas Wesleyan encourages professors to stay on the leading edge of knowledge and discovery, Dr. Schmidt said, so attending professional seminars is fully supported.

“Everyone here is committed to this program. The administration, the faculty and staff, and the students. It’s a great environment. CRNA’s like their job and it’s good to be with people who like their jobs. I value that plus the fact that I am allowed to teach.

“Teaching is a big deal to me. That’s what it comes down to.”

Education:Ph. D. Physiology, Medical College of WisconsinB.S. Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Did You Know? Dr. Schmidt says he really doesn’t have any hobbies. His “singular focus” of being a great GPNA teacher is just that. Much of his time away from Wesleyan is spent researching and preparing for his classes.